Machine-to-Machine (M2M) involves communication without or only limited human intervention. That is, people do not provide the input, but only optionally the output. The acronym ‘MTC’ is used herein to broadly refer to any type of machine-to-machine communication. MTC enables machines to communicate directly with one another and is typically enabled via several types of components. For example, an MTC device is a device capable of replying to a request for data contained within the device or transmitting data contained in the device autonomously. A communication network provides connectivity between MTC devices and MTC gateways. The communication network can be based on for example xDSL (digital subscriber line), LTE (3GPP Long Term Evolution), LTE advanced, WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for microwave access), WLAN (wireless local area network), etc. An MTC gateway employs MTC capabilities which ensure MTC devices interconnect to the communication network. An MTC communication network provides communications between an MTC gateway and an MTC application. An MTC application contains the middleware layer where data is processed by one or more applications supporting MTC services. Example applications for MTC services include machine type communications in smart power grid, smart metering, consumer products, health care, etc.
MTC traffic places a large capacity demand on wireless communication networks. In Rel-10, 3GPP (3rd generation partnership project) is in the process of establishing requirements for 3GPP network system improvements that support MTC. The objective of this study is to identify 3GPP network enhancements required to support a large number of MTC devices in the network and to provide necessary network enablers for MTC communication service. Specifically, transport services for MTC as provided by the 3GPP system and the related optimizations are under consideration as well as aspects needed to ensure that MTC devices, MTC servers and MTC applications do not cause network congestion or system overload. However, current mobile networks remain optimally designed for human-to-human communications and are thus less optimal for MTC applications.
For example, MTC devices are subject to legacy GPRS (general packet radio service) attach procedures such that the serving SGSN (serving GPRS support node) assigns each MTC device a 32 bit P-TMSI (packet temporary mobile subscriber identity) uniquely identifying the device as an MTC device within the scope of the service area (e.g. a routing area) in which the device became attached. Authentication and IMEI (international mobile equipment identity) check procedures are performed as necessary during the GPRS attach as per legacy procedures. These legacy procedures and others require an extensive amount of system bandwidth for MTC, which reduces the amount of bandwidth available for human-to-human communications. MTC bandwidth demand increases significantly as the number of MTC devices serviced by a network increases as is expected in the next several years.